Nissan Cube is embodiment of 'truth in advertising’

By Special to the Star-Telegram

Automakers are notorious for coming up with off-the-wall names for their cars.

Some of my personal favorites: The Oldsmobile Achieva (which I actually owned and affectionately referred to as the "UnderAchieva"); the Chevy Nova (which rumor has it never sold well in Spanish-speaking markets, as in Spanish, "no va" roughly translates as "doesn’t go"); and the oh-so-unfortunately named Ford Probe.

Of course, Japanese automakers take the cake for bizarre car names, although this is ostensibly due to awkward language differences. Gems include the Daihatsu Naked, the Toyota Deliboy, and the fabulous Honda Life Dunk.

This time around, though, Japanese automaker Nissan (whose models have included the Prairie Joy and the Fairlady) has hit the nail right on the head.

Introducing the 2009 Nissan Cube: the embodiment of the phrase "truth in advertising."

The Cube, which starts at $13,990, is a funky little five-passenger vehicle that’s affordable, functional, and that looks – you guessed it – exactly like a big cube on wheels.

It’s quite an odd little car – actually, wait – that’s not correct. It’s not supposed to be called a "car," but rather a "mobile device." Apparently that’s supposed to be more palatable to today’s technology-addicted young people, who are more interested in purchasing the latest gadget than a new car.

Whatever. My point is that it’s weird.

In addition to its big boxy shape, it also has softly rounded corners and asymmetrical bubble-like windows that give it a whimsical, cartoonish look – almost as if Dr. Seuss designed it.

The interior is equally unusual.

The inside is eerily reminiscent of a fishbowl – everything kind of curves outward. While it may sound a little strange, it’s actually pretty fantastic because it makes the interior feel incredibly open and spacious. The ceiling also has a cool ripple pattern, adding to the whole fishbowl-water thing.

The Cube features "sofa-style seating" in the rear, which pretty much means that it’s a bench seat; however, the rear seat slides and reclines. In addition, the rear seat is positioned higher than the front seats (stadium-style), offering rear passengers a better view. The Cube seats four passengers with the rear center armrest folded down, or five with it up.

Because the basic exterior shape of the Cube strongly resembles the Scion xB, which has been on the market here for several years now, some may think the Cube to be nothing more than an unimaginative copy. However, this is not true.

Though new to us, the Cube has been sold in Japan for more than 10 years. The first-generation Cube was released in Japan in 1998, and the second generation was introduced in 2002. And now for 2009, the third-generation Cube finally makes its American debut.

The Cube, which has the same powertrain as the Nissan Versa, comes with a 122-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Two transmissions are available: a six-speed manual or an automatic Xtronic continuously variable transmission.

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